For 15 years, from 1990 to 2004
Bridgwater Doctors toured Herefordshire.The tours were impeccably organised by Tim Jones and Phil Barker we
were grateful to Joyce Budd for her incomparable hospitality, and to the
Barneby Arms and the Falcon Hotel.

In 2007 and 2008 the tour was
revived and, with kind hospitality from Keith and Jill Powell we toured Exmoor.

In 2009 we toured the Scilly
Isles and from 2010 to 2014 visited Brittany.

1990Aston InghamWon by 111 runsBWD235 – 8AI124 - 9

From the depths of 86 for 6 Doctors were rescued by
Graham Fergusson, in partnership with Roger Lambert (20), Jeremy Budd (13)
and Nick Bray (17).The match winning
stand was one of 122 for the 8th wicket between Fergusson and Peter Reed who
made 7 and thereby won the Man of the Day award!Fergusson's 146 n.o. was the BWD record
individual score although little of it was seen by his team-mates who spent
most of the afternoon retrieving lost balls from the adjoining trees.His 2nd fifty came off just 18 balls.

Corse & StauntonTiedBWD156 a.o.C & S156 - 7

The match will always be remembered for Corse's Charlie
Hulls refusing to return to the pavilion after being caught by Graham
Fergusson at silly mid on.

G.Fergusson
53,N.Bray 38

G.Fergusson
4-35

1991CinderfordLost by 6 wickets
BWD81 a.o.C/ford82 - 4

As
Aston Ingham had joined a league a different fixture was arranged which
proved to be a mistake!Cinderford
were a league team, average age 18, with good quick bowlers.Doctors, average age 38, never got going with
the exception of Steve Dorrett who was last out for 20.We bowled and fielded well but without any
luck, and made them work hard for the runs.Roger Lambert was Man of the Day for the entertainment provided by the
combat between his tie and a credit card machine (and for his excellent
fielding in the covers)

Played in steady drizzle, Phillip Mann (54) and Peter
Reed (21) put on 78 for the first wicket.Graham Fergusson was 53 not out when we declared.Tim Jones acquired a 'grunt' when bowling
and his 'Dustbin' sobriquet courtesy of Phillip Mann.Robert Colledge (3-51) and Will Chandler
(3-19) bowled us to victory.For one
of the above reasons Phillip was made Mann of the Day.

C & StauntonLost by 61 runsC & S196 – 6BWD135 a.o.

Tim Jones and Peter Reed reduced the home side to 48
for 3 but thereafter the batsmen were in charge.Will Chandler
kept us in the hunt until he was brilliantly run out for 55 but Jeremy Budd's
26 was the only other significant score.

The cost of the 1992 Tour was
£40

Robert Colledge became the
first BWD player to break a croquet mallet

An extracurricular trip to
Bromyard Sports Shop provoked much excitement

1993Hereford DoctorsLost by 26
runsHD204 – 7BWD178 a.o.

Hereford
put on 103 from 16 overs for the first wicket and, although then checked by
Graham Fergusson (3-23) and Peter Reed (2-34) were able to post a challenging
total.David Gwynne Jones blasted 14
from the first over of Doctors reply, only to be disastrously run out by
Phillip Mann in the second.Graham
Fergusson (61) was again winning the match single-handed when he chipped an
innocuous full toss to square leg.Although Andrew Paisley (27) and Roger Lambert (25) kept up the
momentum wickets fell steadily and we were never in the hunt.

PencombeWon by 49 runsBWD235 – 8P/cmbe186 - 9

A disastrous start of 0 for 2 was retrieved by Jeremy
Budd (23) and eclipsed spectacularly by Graham Fergusson (141*) and Andrew
Paisley (41) who put on 150.The turning
point in the Pencombe innings came when a high speed Fergusson return from
cover struck the bowler Robert Colledge above his right eye.Colledge retired to be sutured in the
pavilion (subsequent cosmetic result excellent) and his over was completed by
Dave Rooke.His first ball, described
in the press as 'a cunningly flighted leg break' clean bowled Alan Davies the
Pencombe star batsman.Mike Smart
(3-14) and Roger Lambert (2-26) ran through the lower order.Fergusson was voted Man of the Day for his
fielding.

C & StauntonDrawnC & S216 - 9 dec.BWD186 - 9

A very hot afternoon!Hard work for the bowlers until the belated introduction of Phillip
Mann (4-24) and Andrew Paisley (2-37).David Wrout (21) gave Doctors a solid start and Graham Fergusson's 59
took his tour aggregate to 261 (average 130.5).Jeremy Budd (22) and Mike Smart (20) kept
us up with the required rate but in the end we were happy to settle for the
draw.

The croquet match was preceded
by a lecture from captain Budd on mallet care.It was notable for the presence of a swarm
of bees and for the breaking of another mallet handle- by Jeremy Budd.

1994Hereford DoctorsTiedBWD207 a.o.HD 207 - 9

Phillip Mann (22) and David Gwynne Jones (14)
re-established their mutual trust, prior to a fearful onslaught from Graham
Fergusson (93), Keith Powell (34) and Nick Bray (23).From a seemingly invincible 202 for 4 from
26 overs the last 6 wickets fell for 5 runs.Jeremy Budd (3-20) cut Hereford
down to 107 - 6 whereupon we relaxed the pressure.At 178 - 9 with 3 overs left we were still
in control but spectacular hitting reduced the target to 3 from the last
ball.Only two were scrambled and the
match was tied.

PencombeWon by 28 runsBWD206 – 9P/cmbe178 a.o.

A good team batting performance to which everyone
contributed.David Gwynne Jones (40)
and Brian Buckhurst (31) put on 70 for the first wicket and 6 other batsmen got
into double figures, the highest being Graham Fergusson (only 27) and Peter
Reed (19).Despite 23 from Phillip
Mann for the opposition Fergusson (3-47) kept them down to 103 for 6.A stand of 71 for the next wicket had
Doctors staring down the barrel until the reintroduction of Reed (4-24) and
Tim Jones (2-18) changed the course.Jones took his 100th wicket for BWD and Reed won the Man of the Day
award.

C & StauntonWon by 17 runsBWD212 – 6C & S195 a.o.

Brian Buckhurst (19) started well but there was a
familiar slump to 71 for 4.Dan
Brett (33) and Graham Fergusson rescued the innings and when Fergusson was
run out by Wayne Phillips for 95 Dave Rooke contributed a "muscular and
aggressive"20 n.o.The third successive total of over 200 was
a record.Despite a spell of 3 for 33
from Fergusson Corse were on top at 168 for 5 until they were skittled out by
Jeremy Budd (4-56).

Phillip Mann (31) laid the base for a pyrotechnic
display as Andrew Paisley (56 n.o.) and Graham Fergusson (145 n.o.) put on an
unbroken 145 in 15 overs.Peter Reed
(3-22) bowled a double wicket maiden first over and in the second over Tim
Jones was cautioned by the umpire for gamesmanship as he dived theatrically
at the batsman's feet when (unsuccessfully) appealing.The rest of Hereford's innings was something of an
anticlimax as David Gwynne Jones (3-23) and Roger Lambert (2-24) ran through
the middle order.

The tour selectors were heard
to wonder if Fergusson has a problem with the 140's as this was his third not
out score over 140 without progressing further.

Pencombe Lost by 5 wicketsBWD81 a.o.P/cmbe82 - 5

After gorging themselves on runs on the previous day
Doctors were on iron rations at 31 for 5 including Graham Fergusson, out for
his lowest ever tour score (11).Jeremy Budd (19) and Dan Brett (17) dug in until Budd was out to a
marvellous running catch at long on.Pencombe were 2 for 2 but Doctors put down three hard chances and the
total proved to be indefensible.In
the interval Phillip Mann had made a valiant but unsuccessful attempt to
break his own All Comers Pencombe Tea Consumption record.

C & StauntonLost by 4 wicketsBWD142 a.o.C & S143 - 6

Another hard fought match with every run having to be
prized out.The only time batting
looked comfortable was when Graham Fergusson (53) and Andrew Paisley (19)
were together.The last 5 wickets fell
for 35 as Doctors tried to accelerate against A.Oliver (6-22).After a quickfire start Corse's wickets
fell steadily but the match turned when Wayne Phillips was dropped at cover
and he went on to make 43.

Tim Jones regaled the team
dinner with his fascinating anecdote about Charles Macadam-at least twice.

Robert Colledge achieved
immortality and a place in the Budd family history by becoming the only man
ever to break TWO croquet mallets.

No one managed even 50% of his
Tour Performance Targets!

1996Hereford Doctors Won by 46 runsBWD275 – 9HD229 a.o.

David Gwynne-Jones (44) and Phillip Mann (34) put on 76
in 14 overs for the first wicket.Enter Graham Fergusson.With
Charles Macadam (13), Keith Powell (12) and, spectacularly, with Mike
Sullivan (52) he took the home attack apart, finishing unbeaten on 103.Hereford
raced to 133 for 1 from 20 overs but were rocked back by the combination of
Sullivan (3-24) and Robert Colledge (2-43).Opener P.Richards scored a fine hundred before becoming the first of
two run out victims to excellent throws from David Gwynne Jones at deep
square leg.Sullivan was Man of the
Day (unusually for cricketing reasons!)

Pencombe Won by 3 wicketsP/cmbe182 – 9BWD183 - 7

After struggling against the pace of John Down and
Richard Purchase Pencombe accelerated to 128 for 2 off 29 overs, partly due
to on-loan David Gwynne-Jones (33).Robert Colledge (4-39) devastated the middle order and it took another
brief cameo from another loanee, Mike Sullivan (13 n.o.) to boost the total
to a challenging 182.Both Doctors
openers fell cheaply but Brian Buckhurst (39) and Jeremy Budd (12) led the
recovery.Purchase (17) was going well
until he was bowled by Sullivan's off spin!Sullivan (2-17) promptly took another wicket and Doctors were wobbling
at 157 for 7.However Dan Jones was
still there and there were no further alarms, as his commanding 86 not out
took us to victory with 9 balls to spare.Colledge was Man of the Day for his bowling, his conversation, his
long service, and for being injured at the right time in 1993.

C & StauntonLost by 5 wickets
BWD235 – 9C & S239 - 5

Corse opened with a fusillade of short-pitched bowling,
their aggression matched by David Gwynne-Jones (24).Dan Jones (47) and Graham Fergusson (84)
then gave a batting master class and at 165 for 1 with 15 overs left Doctors
were looking invincible. The drinks interval changed everything as
immediately afterwards 4 wickets fell for the addition of 2 runs.Richard Purchase (29) and Andrew Paisley
(29) repaired some of the damage and Dave Rooke (13 n.o.) kept things going,
but the total of 235 was less than we had hoped for.M.House (47) and Matt Dudfield launched
their own batting blitz until, after much impassioned appealing, Dan Jones at
last wrung an lbw verdict against House from umpire Charlie Hulls.This merely brought in Jim Dudfield for a
stand of 129 with his brother.At last
Purchase bowled Matt for 103 and Corse began to lose their way.Eleven were needed from the last two overs
but two fours and a leg bye from the penultimate over found Tim Jones needing
to bowl a final maiden.He took a
wicket with his first ball but umpire Hulls controversially ruled that the
batsmen had crossed while the ball travelled to slip.This left Jim Dudfield (57 n.o.) on strike
and he confidently eased the third ball to the boundary.

Tim Jones won the coveted
anorak as the prizewinner in the BWD Trivia Quiz.

The weekend aggregate of 693
runs scored by Bridgwater Doctors was a record.

1997Hereford DoctorsCancelled - rain

5-a-Side Football tournament at
Hereford Sports Centre.Steve Dorrett
won the Champagne Moment Award for his impression of Tim Jones when falling
over.Keith Powell was indicted for
turning up late for the Tour.

PencombeWon by 49 runsBWD169 for 3P/cmbe120 for 8

Played on a sticky wicket in steady rain at the start
and finish of the game, which was restricted to 30 overs.The lush, wet outfield meant that
boundaries were at a premium.Pencombe
spilled numerous chances.The
substance of our innings was a partnership of 109 of high technical quality
between Graham Fergusson (81*) and Will Chandler (51).Fergusson's fifty was his slowest for
BWD.Pencombe were never in
contention.Richard Lee (2-16) won a
Man of the Day award for bowling his first ever maiden over and won the
Champagne Moment Award for running in to bowl, stopping, and handing his cap
to the umpire.Another Man of the
Day was Mike Smart for his tight bowling and enthusiastic fielding.The non-playing tourists, returning from
watching the British Lions at the pub, gave a passable impression of the Western
Terrace at Headingly.Nick Bray was
awarded the third Man of the Day for deliberately (?) missing his lift to the
pub to selflessly support his team-mates.

C & StauntonWon by 42 runsBWD305 for 3C & S263 for 9

A day of broken records.

Graham Fergusson's lowest score on tour (2)

Dan Jones' highest score for BWD (143)

D.Jones/W.Chandler - record partnership
(192 for 3rd wkt.)

A.Paisley (70*) - equal fastest BWD fifty
(18 balls, 13 min)

Highest BWD match aggregate - 568 runs

First match in which BWD fielded 3
internationals¹

The match was played on a damp, slow wicket with a
short boundary on one side.Corse made
a valiant effort but were checked by Dan Jones (3-40) and Steve Dorrett
(2-44) and by brilliant running catches from Nick Bray and Mike Smart.Fergusson superbly stumped Corse's top
scorer Matt Dudfield (80).

This was the wettest tour ever
with rain on all three days.

Both golf matches at The
Herefordshire and Sapey were played in pouring rain.

Richard Purchase won the Golf
Award for a double hat trick of lost balls to identical shots:

i) out of bounds andii) into the pond.

¹ R.Purchase (hockey),N.Bray (sailing),D.Gwynne-Jones (frisbee).

1998Hereford DoctorsLost by 7 wicketsBWD156 a.o.HD160 - 3

Piratically bearded opener
Keith Powell (26) started in swashbuckling fashion but thereafter the ball
came slowly on to the bat and the attack was accurate so that even Graham
Fergusson (51) was unusually subdued.When he reached 19 he had scored his 5000th run for Doctors and it was
a surprise (3 pints at lunch?) when he was bowled through an expansive
drive.Phil Barker could find no one
to stay with him and two disastrous run outs contributed to the loss of the last
5 wickets for 14 runs.Jeremy Budd was
not happy to be one of the run out victims and the pavilion window just
survived the collision with his bat.

Mike Sullivan and John Down made
the Hereford openers struggle for runs but on a placid pitch the breakthrough
would not come.Doctors’ catchers were
in profligate mood and four were spilled off Peter Reed and two more at the
other end.Peter Wilson played the
anchor role and with Peter Richards staged an opening stand of 84.The end was already nigh when Barker (2-43)
took two late wickets.

PencombeWon by 4
wicketsPencombe98 – 8BWD100 - 6

The
morning of the match had seen torrential rain and Pencombe's decision to bat
first came unstuck as the sodden pitch turned sticky in the warm afternoon
and many years of accumulated guile were much in evidence from Tim Jones
(1-9).Phil Barker (2-17) and Graham
Fergusson (2-26) reduced their hosts to 49 for 5.Alan Davies (20) was the only home batsman
to look comfortable but he pulled the ball hard into the hands of Down at
square leg. Richard Lee held a marvellous catch at short extra cover off
Andrew Paisley (1-6) and then Lee (1-7) and Keith Powell (1-15) tormented the
tailenders.

David Gwynne Jones had made 14 but
the benefits of Doctors experimental batting line up were not immediately
apparent when T.Brook (3-9) and Chris Elliot (2-18) provoked a dramatic
collapse to 32 for 6.If this was a
crisis it was not noticed by the two new batsmen, Fergusson and Paisley who
launched into the home bowlers in scintillating fashion and in a further 8
overs the match was over with Fergusson unbeaten on 39 and Paisley on 27.

C & StauntonWon by 300 runsBWD400 - 4 dec.C & S100 a.o.

David Gwynne Jones (70) hit the first ball of the match
for four and went on, with Mike Sullivan, to put on 108, in 12 overs, for the
first wicket - a Doctors record.Tim
Phillips bowled an eventful first over to Sullivan (77) - 28 runs came from
the first five balls and a wicket from the sixth.Graham Fergusson had by now played himself
in quietly and was joined by Richard Purchase.All the Corse bowlers suffered and their
partnership was worth 145 and the total past 300 when Purchase (54) was
brilliantly caught at long off.Fergusson attacked even harder and his third fifty took only 15
balls.His innings of 161 contained 13
fours and 13 sixes and was the highest ever individual score for the
Doctors.Still there was no respite
for the tired bowlers as skipper Andrew Paisley (23 n.o.) took the score to
400 (another record for Doctors) for 4 declared in the 39th over.

The Dudfield brothers have taken a
stack of runs off Doctors in the past so it was a huge anticlimax when both
fell to Peter Reed (2-7) in his
second over with the total on four.When Charles Macadam (4-27) came on he proceeded to rip out the middle
order and destroyed all remaining hopes of a contest.

Jeremy Budd's consortium won the Trivia
Quiz and he also won the prestigious Golden Tortoise Award.His acceptance speech was both heartfelt
and succinct.

The Croquet match went, for the first
time, to a penalty shoot out and was won by Andrew Paisley and Phil
Barker.

1999Hereford
DoctorsLost by 119 runs HD231 – 7BWD112 a.o.

Having lost the toss
Doctors could only watch in anguish as the Hereford openers P.Richards and
P.Wilson took full advantage of a bowler’s nightmare of a wicket with a stand
of 158 in 28 overs.The pain was made
worse by the knowledge that it was largely self-inflicted as six regulation
chances were missed, four of them from the unlucky Graham Fergusson.Finally Andrew Paisley accepted a chance at
deep midwicket to give Phil Barker (2-37) the overdue wicket of Richards
(103).Wilson soon followed him to the pavilion,
skying Barker to long on where Fergusson showed his team-mates how to
catch.With this breakthrough Doctors
cricket regained its purposefulness; John Down bowled with his usual astringency
and the catching turned from woeful to infallible as Fergusson and Barker
(twice) pouched all the chances offered.Jacques Van Aarde, a former South African Under 19 player, made a
useful 29 and Rick Guest a breezy 19 until he fell to the persevering Peter Reed (1-52) but the highlight of the innings
was a fine bowling performance under pressure by James Powell (4-29) on his
first tour, which was the main reason why a good total did not become an
unreachable one.

The target of 232 was generally reckoned
to be around par for the conditions on this small ground but it soon became
daunting as the tourists declined to 31 for 3. Keith Powell was the first to
go, lobbing Chris Frith (2-30) to mid on.Barker (10) was unluckily bowled off his pads by Van Aarde (1-6) and
Fergusson, most untypically, played around a straight one from Stuart
Townsend (1-17).Paisley (39) and
James Powell (13) played well and rebuilt the foundations of the innings but
both fell in succession to Julian Wheeler (2-28) and Richards (1-7) as they
tried to up the scoring rate.The
lower order, faced with an asking rate that climbed to 10 an over, perished
in the same fashion, with A.Thomas (2-15) the chief beneficiary as the match
slipped to its disappointing conclusion.

PencombeLost by 5 wicketsBWD124 a.o.Pencombe128 – 5

In
totally different conditions to the previous day Doctors had to fight for
every run on an unpredictable pitch against accurate bowling.Graham Fergusson (10) played too early and
lifted a catch to cover off T.Brooke (2-7) but Andrew Paisley (23) and Phil
Barker (22) grafted hard and punished the bad balls in an excellent stand
until Paisley got a good inswinger from Joe
Bengry (1-36).Keith Powell (37)
played an innings of rich entertainment with indiscretions mixed liberally
with sublime shots, sadly ended by one risk too many against the wily off
spin of Chris Elliott (2-28). Thereafter wickets tumbled regularly with only
James Powell’s characteristic aggression gaining any reward until he fell to
a catch at long off for 15.

The
start of the Pencombe innings went exactly to Doctors plan as John Down
(2-13) and Andy Salmon bowled fast and obtained plentiful movement off the
seam and the home side limped to 22 for 2 from 11 overs.Alas at this stage the wheels came off as
Doctors catching became fallible again and S.Barrett (33) and Alan Davies
(55) were granted several lives in a stand of 68.At last both batsmen fell to the flighted
left arm spin of Robert Colledge (2-25) courtesy of well taken catches by
Phil Barker. But by then the target was in sight and despite a wicket for
Peter Reed (1-20), two more dropped catches meant that there was no chance to
exert the necessary pressure on the incoming batsmen.D.Deakin saw his team home with 8 overs to
spare.

Men of the Day were James Powell
(Fri) and John Down (Sat)

The Golf Trophy went to David
Badham for his stamina in getting up at 5
am to drive up to Sapey.

The Tennis trophy was awarded
to James Powell and Charles Macadam.

History was made as the tour
passed without a win.

2000Hereford DoctorsWon by 166 runsBWD346 - 4HD180 a.o.

Last year’s defeat was
avenged with some style.In the
“bowler’s graveyard” at Hereford the choice to bat first was easy and the
in-form Mike Sullivan and Keith Powell set the tone for the afternoon with a
salvo of thumping shots in a 15 over stand of 87.Sullivan (46) perished on the deep
midwicket boundary to Oliver Penney (2-62) and Powell (56) soon followed, but
this merely ushered in an even more savage onslaught by Graham Fergusson and
Dan Jones who launched the tiring bowlers for a series of fours and
sixes.Jones was stumped for 52 but
Fergusson showed that he had lost none of his old touch as he went on to a
majestic 102 before retiring.Even
this was not enough for the visitors and David Gwynne Jones (26) and Dave
Rooke (37 n.o.) flayed the dispirited attack.Only Phil Barker (1-33), guesting for the opposition, emerged with
credit.

Faced with a
daunting target the last thing that Hereford wanted was a start of 17 for
3.John Down (2-30) and Tim Jones
(1-23) bowled with customary zeal.T.Leghorn (31) decided on attack but was undone by the craft of left
arm spinner Robert Colledge (2-17).The substance of the home innings was a stand of 78 between Barker
(62) and Andrew Paisley (52) who put away the bad balls and ran singles off
the good ones. Even so they were never up with the clock and when Paisley was bowled by Peter Reed (1-31) the game was
up.Sullivan (1-16) and Dan Jones
(2-6) clinically dispatched the tailenders.

PencombeWon by 86 runsBWD134 a.o.Pencombe48 a.o.

Doctors made a poor start as Andrew
Paisley was run out by a direct hit and Keith Powell (13) was caught and
bowled by James Brown (1-22).Fortunes
improved as Graham Fergusson and Dan Jones compiled a stand of 46, liberally
punctuated by the plangent sound of ball hitting the metal boundary boards.Fergusson (15) hit a long hop from Brian
Pilliner (1-34) straight into the midriff of cover point but Phil Barker (14)
batted with application and he and Jones (29) took the score to 82 before
both fell to the off spin of Chris Elliott (2-13).Wickets then fell regularly to another
direct-hit run out and to Tim Brooke (2-6) and Tony Davies (2-13), but
Charles Macadam (15 n.o.) shepherded the lower order batsmen to add a vital
38 for the last 4 wickets.

Feeling that they had underperformed with the bat
Doctors were fired up when they took the field – none more so than John Down
(2-13) who started in ideal fashion by plucking out the off stump with the
first ball of the innings.Down bowled
in perfect harmony with the pinpoint accuracy of Mike Sullivan (2-13) for the
first 16 overs.Supported by faultless
outfielding and quality catching from Fergusson and Powell they removed the
top four batsmen for 28.Alan Davies
(13) was the only home batsman to reach double figures as relentless pressure
from Jones (2-20), Robert Colledge (1-3), Barker (1-6) and Paisley
(1-5) scythed through the hapless Pencombe batsmen.Brian Buckhurst effected a good stumping
and Doctors exemplary outcricket was without a single misfield or missed
chance.

TetburyHospitalWon by 21 runsBWD183 a.o.Tetbury162 - 7

Doctors were put in to bat in this
new fixture and found the going hard against the good line and length of the
Tetbury attack of Sami and Richard Runciman.At 25 for 3 Graham Fergusson and Dan Jones came together again and
wrested the initiative from the bowlers in a carefree partnership of 69 in 8
overs. As has happened in the past they were separated immediately after the
drinks interval when Fergusson (62) top edged a short ball from Rob Baker
(2-6) to slip and Jones (29) soon fell to the same bowler. The middle order
faltered against the formidable, shaven headed figure of Wayne Kibble in his
first match back after fracturing an ankle just five weeks before.Kibble (2-16) bowled a mixture of yorkers
and beamers at sharp pace and was lucky that the kindly umpires did not
remove him from the attack.Useful
contributions came from Mike Sullivan (16) and Phil Barker (16) until Sami
(3-21) and Runciman (3-20) returned to clean up the innings.Charles Macadam (22) again played well to
add important runs with the tail.

Sullivan (1-23) soon removed the menacing Kibble,
lbw for 8, and a keenly fought contest developed between Doctors’ Sullivan
and Down and the Indian batsmen Sami and Mukesh.Honours were even at the time when the change
bowlers came on and then for a while bat ruled ball until Mukesh (33) tried a
fierce cut off Barker, only to find the safe hands of Peter Reed at
point.Barker (4-40) then ran through
the middle order but Sami was still there and at last found a willing ally in
Baker. Dan Jones and Fergusson bowled good containing spells as the target
inched nearer but it took the return of the invaluable Down (1-17) to remove
Sami, well caught by Dave Rooke off a steepler for an excellent 42.The final overs were entrusted to the very
old hands of Reed (1-25) and Tim Jones. They did not let the side down and
despite the valiant attempts of Baker (35 n.o.) Doctors cruised to an
ultimately comfortable victory.

Men of the Day were Robert Colledge (Fri), Dan Jones (Sat) and
Charles Macadam (Sun).

A morning downpour reduced the match to 30
overs per innings.John Down conceded
5 runs in his first over, including an edged four over first slip’s head, and
then bowled 5 overs for just 3 runs.James Powell (2-11) was equally frugal and took two wickets with
well-disguised slower balls, including a sharp caught and bowled, and a fine
return by Andrew Paisley at deep square leg was expertly taken by keeper
Jeremy Budd to make the score 10 for 3.John Wood (13) and C.Williams (10) batted sensibly but excellent
ground fielding, with Dave Rooke in the covers outstanding, restricted
progress.Robert Colledge (2-15) found
turn and bounce for his left arm finger spinners and his partnership with Peter Reed (3-17) brought another collapse as the
innings reached its nadir of 59 for 8.Chris Frith (22 n.o.) and C.Byat (11 n.o.) obtained 26 runs from the
last 5 overs and a hint of respectability to the final total.

Dunkley (14) and Keith Powell (11) made a
surreal start to a backdrop of lightning flashes and a crescendo of rock
music from the neighbouring village hall with a rollicking opening stand of
27, ended when both were caught off successive balls from M.Arkanath
(2-34).Paisley
and Phil Barker kept the impetus with a mixture of fierce pulls and shrewd
deflections.When Paisley
miscued off Williams (1-14) and new batsman Rooke was caught, one handed at
full stretch, by Wood at mid off there were tremors in the visitors’
ranks.These were quelled by the calm
assurance of Barker (25 n.o.) who played the perfect anchor role while James
Powell (12 n.o.) finished the job with 3 powerful blows.

Several members of the tour party
broke a tour record by playing four rounds of golf (and no cricket) on the
first two days of touring.

GrendalWon by 4 wicketsGrendal 128 for 9BWD 129 for
6

Both Grendal
openers fell to Powell (2-11), one to a fine low catch by Alan Dunkley at
backward square leg, while John Down’s mesmeric bowling yielded only two runs
off the bat in 6 overs.Joe Lee kept
the pressure on the middle order so that chances had to be taken and the ball
was frequently hit in the air.For a
while the policy succeeded as A.Spicer (10) and Phil Barker (17) put on 33
for the third wicket.The turning
point in the innings came in an over from Peter
Reed (2-27) in which both batsmen fell to successive
balls.The battle for Taunton Road
supremacy ended in a draw as Dave Rooke (13) survived the hat trick ball and
went on to play an attacking cameo until he was well caught low at mid off by
Charles Macadam off the bowling of Ian Stansfield (1-15).Macadam (1-13) was rewarded for this by an
equally good catch off his bowling by David Gwynne Jones at mid on.Stansfield fielded spectacularly at deep
cover as B.Russell (26 n.o.) top scored, while Graham Fergusson’s leg spin
(4-17) clinically dispatched the tail.

There
were early successes for Grendal as Gwynne Jones pulled a full toss from
C.Canavalli (1-40) to deep midwicket and D.Howells (1-20) found the bottom
edge of Fergusson’s new bat as he unluckily played on.Captain Keith Powell led from the front
with a pugnacious innings of 36 until he misjudged the line of Maurice Pell
(2-20).The result was never in doubt
as long as Will Chandler was at the crease.Immensely secure at first and increasingly aggressive as the bowlers
wilted he shepherded his side to within 2 runs of the target.With only one blow required for victory and
for his own fifty, Chandler
(49) attempted the grand finale and was well stumped by Steve Griffin off
Russell (2-42).The honour of scoring
the winning runs went to Lee with more than 12 overs to spare.

Men of the Day were Ian Stansfield
(Fri) and Joe Lee (Sat) – mainly for escaping prosecution for the offence of
Burglary with Intent [Theft Act 1968 Sec. 9(1)(a)] at Westington Court,
Docklow on 16th June 2001

2002Hereford DoctorsWon by 19 runsBWD 239 a.o.HD 220 for 5

Sykes struck in his first
over as Keith Powell unluckily played on off an inside edge but Graham
Fergusson and David Gwynne Jones settled in for a big partnership.Their styles were contrasting with
Fergusson hitting his second ball for 6 and Gwynne Jones striking the ball
hard but along the ground and at one stage taking 24 consecutive
singles.Fergusson’s majestic 108
contained 14 fours and 5 sixes and the stand was worth 172 when Fergusson ran
himself out.Gwynne Jones soon
followed him, caught off the deserving Dan Simpkins (1-36) for an invaluable
52 but the punishment for the Hereford
bowlers had not finished as Dan Jones (30) and Sam Powell (21) blasted
stylish cameos. Again both partners
departed in quick succession, bowled by Sykes and J.Rivett (1-18)
respectively and thereupon Doctors lower order seemed to feel that they had
enough runs as Sykes (4-39) and Peter Richards (2-32) profited from a rash of
over-exuberant strokes.From 235 for 5
the innings subsided to 239 all out.

By the start
of Hereford’s
innings there was steady drizzle and the bowlers’ footholds became
treacherous.John Down took a wicket
from the innings’ first ball, well caught low down by keeper Dave Rooke.Down and Sam Powell put a stranglehold on
the batsmen and only 34 runs came from the first 12 overs.Peter Reed
and Jones kept the lid on and with only 82 on the board after 22 overs the
pressure on the home side was immense.Simpkins (19) was bowled by Jones (1-32) before there was some belated
aggression from Matt Aubrey and Richards in a good stand of 76.It was only a matter of time before one of
the aerial shots went to hand and James Powell (2-47) was the man to do the
trick as Richards (40) was held by Down at short midwicket and Aubrey (89)
was taken by Fergusson in the covers.Jeremy Budd bowled a controlled spell of off spin and despite
enterprising stroke play from J.Lee (30 n.o.) and Rivett (15 n.o.) the Hereford side fell
short of the required total.

PencombeWon by 83 runsBWD173 for 7Pencombe90 a.o.

Doctors’
decision to bat first under cloudy skies looked seriously flawed when Tim
Brooke and Tony Davies used the variable bounce and lateral movement to make
early breakthroughs.In truth Doctors’
top order did much to get themselves out, the first four all perishing to
ill-judged attacking shots.David
Gwynne Jones (20) was the only front line batsman to show the requisite
discipline but he unluckily played on to Brooke (3-13) and when Dan Jones (14
off 9 balls) was bowled by Davies (2-36) the score was 56 for 5.Fortunately for the visitors Dave Rooke hit
prime form when it really mattered.With capable support from James Powell he saw off Brooke and the dangerous
Allan Davies and then launched a judicious counter attack.Powell (18) fell to Owen Thomas (1-31) but
Joe Lee came in to play fluently and his fruitful partnership with Rooke
prised out a vital 63 runs.Rooke’s
match winning innings ended when he was pinned lbw by a shooter from Phil
Brooke (1-25) but there was still time for a cameo 11 not out from Jeremy
Budd and another salvo of shots from Lee who finished with a well crafted 27
not out.

John
Down and Mike Sullivan spearheaded a full-on assault for Doctors with five
maiden overs at the start and the vital wicket of Thomas, lbw to Sullivan
(1-6) in his first over.Down’s
figures were 1 for 4 off 6 overs when Sam Powell and Jones took up the reins.Jones was clobbered for 19 off his first
two overs by Stuart Barrett but then stepped up a gear and began to hit a
good length on off stump.His
persistence was rewarded as Barrett (31) was beaten for pace and played over
a straight ball.Powell was
desperately unlucky as he consistently beat the batsmen’s edge but runs were
in short supply and the pressure told on the middle order as Jones (3-38)
claimed two more quality wickets and effected a superb run out from the deep
long on boundary.The demise of Bob Townsend
(19) and another run out by keeper Rooke exposed the tail and Jeremy Budd
(2-8) did the necessary.The coup de
grace was administered by James Powell (1-10).

Men of the Day were David Gwynne
Jones (for batting and travelling to and from a birthday party in Bristol on Friday
evening), Sam Powell (for all round excellence on both days) and Dave Rooke
(for actually being man of the day on Sat.)

2003Hereford DoctorsWon by 6 wicketsHD 101 for 7BWD 104 for 4.

Hereford Doctors got off
to a flier and put on 21 in the first 4 overs but were pegged back by a fine
spell of 1 for 8 from John Down.His
good work was maintained by brothers Joe Lee (2-31) and Harry Lee (2-9), and
only opener W.Davies was able to make any impression.Wickets fell regularly as the Lees worked
their way through the middle order until A.Knight at last provided some
support to Davies.Their stand was
worth 22 when the pressure to accelerate brought their downfall.Knight (10) was well caught as Joe Lee made
a lot of ground to hold him off Phil Barker (1-9) and Davies (39), trying to
keep the strike, failed to complete a suicidal single to Andrew Paisley.Peter Reed
and Barker permitted no liberties from the lower order and the final total
was some 20 runs below par.

A fine opening stand of 59 between Paisley and Dave Rooke virtually sealed the outcome of
the match as they saw off the opening bowlers at 5 an over with a minimum of
risk.The stand came to an undignified
end as both were bowled, head in the air, attempting a big drive, Paisley (18) by Chris Frith (1-17) and Rooke (21) by
Noor (1-26).John Rooke smashed his
first ball of the season for a sumptuous four but there was a mid-innings
wobble as D.Sykes (2-15) took two quick wickets.By now Graham Fergusson was in full flow
and a quickfire burst of 6 boundaries took the game away from the home
side.The end came quickly with a
beautiful straight drive over the bowler’s head which took Fergusson to 30
not out and to a season’s average of 224.

PencombeLost by 5 wicketsBWD76 a.o.Pencombe77 for 8.

Doctors
chose to bat and found run scoring almost impossible.Attempts to break the stranglehold met
with unmitigated disaster as Brian Pilliner (3-12) and James Brown (2-6)
cashed in on a variety of loose strokes.Andrew Paisley was unlucky when he unleashed a full blooded drive,
only to see Owen Thomas at mid off hurl himself to his right to take a
brilliant catch inches from the ground.Sam Powell lit up the gloom with a 10 ball cameo worth 17 but the
crucial wicket for Pencombe was that of Graham Fergusson who was deceived by
a fine, inswinging, off stump yorker from Thomas (1-20).Fergusson’s score of 10 reduced his batting
average to a paltry 117.Phil Barker
(16) and Mike Sullivan (10) staged a partial recovery but when both were out
to Phil Brooke (2-19) there was another flurry of soft dismissals to David
Deakins (2-3), culminating in a careless run out when last man Robert
Colledge failed to ground his bat.

The home side approached the task of
knocking off the runs with understandable confidence which lasted for
precisely 6 hostile overs from Sullivan and John Down, after which the score
was 3 for 3.Two stunning catches from
keeper Fergusson, standing up to the quick bowlers, and a fine low catch from
Barker at point did the damage.Down
and Sullivan bowled with unblemished accuracy and their successors Powell
(1-22) and Harry Lee (1-9) were no less attritional, each gaining a lbw
decision to reduce the score to 23 for 5.Thomas had watched most of the carnage from the non-striker’s end and
at last he found a lasting partner in Brown.When the score had reached 68 without further loss Doctors turned
again to Sullivan (8 o, 5 m, 9 r, 2 w) and the change was soon rewarded as
Brown (16) tried one drive too many.When Reed (1-5) lured Steve Townsend down the wicket his doom was
sealed as Fergusson took the bails off in a flash, but Thomas was still there
and was playing a true captain’s innings and a boundary in the next over
brought the scores level.Down (8 o, 3
m, 9 r, 4 w) produced a superhuman effort to bowl Thomas (32) with his next
ball but Brooke held out for the rest of the over and a thrilling match was
concluded when Pilliner tantalisingly chipped the ball over short midwicket’s
head in the next.

Awards: Batting, G.Fergusson.Bowling, J.Down.Fielding, J.Lee

2004Hereford DoctorsWon by 11 runsBWD 114 for 8.HD 101 for 8

The
tourists were put in to bat on a sporting pitch and lost a wicket in the
first over from the lively Manu Lal (1-17).The innings was stabilised by a sound partnership of 56 between Andrew
Paisley and David Williamson who ran well and played useful shots behind the
wicket on both sides.The slow
outfield meant that the match was doomed to be low scoring and when
Williamson was caught of R.Sykes (1-13) the visitors were grateful for brisk
cameos from Mike Sullivan and Dave Rooke that lifted the run rate.The looping medium pacers of Chris Frith
(4-37) were difficult to get away and he accounted for Sullivan (12) with a
reflex return catch and Rooke (10) and the excellent Paisley
(39) both bowled.The innings subsided
gently when Sam Powell was controversially given out caught off when appeared
to be a beamer from Jibu Vargese (1-22) and the same player effected a good
run out in the next over.

The
fired-up Powell was more than a handful for Hereford’s openers who were both soon back
in the pavilion courtesy of good catches from the bowler’s father Keith.Sullivan made an even more important
breakthrough when he trapped the home team’s main man Peter Richards lbw for
0 during a hypnotic spell of 2 for 8, and when Powell (4-14) bowled Lal with
a beauty that nipped back the score was 29 for 5 and the match was
effectively finished.More
constriction from John Down, Phil Barker (1-13) and Peter
Reed (1-23) with aid from two good stumpings from keeper
Jeremy Budd made sure of the win and when Doctors relaxed in the last 4 overs
Vargese (16 n.o.) and A.Rajiv (22) swung the bat to give their team
respectability.

PencombeWon by 7 wicketsPencombe66 a.o.BWD68 for 3

Doctors
chose to bowl first after a heavy lunchtime downpour had livened up a hard
Pencombe wicket.John Down and Mike Sullivan
have bowled well here in the past and their double act was again lethal as
the ball darted around and neither gave the batsman anything loose to
hit.Down struck in the first over
when he had Bob Townsend caught by Sullivan at slip and the intense pressure
paid off in the eighth over when Stuart Barrett was run out by a fine pick up
and throw from Andrew Paisley and then Sullivan captured the prized wicket of
Owen Thomas (10) as Alan Dunkley took a superb overhead catch running
downhill with the wind swirling and the sun in his eyes.The metronomic Sullivan (2-8) was justly
rewarded with another wicket but when he and Down (1-12) were rested
Pencombe’s troubles had only just begun.Phil Barker came on and regularly beat the bat without luck but it was
Sam Powell’s strength and relentless accuracy that precipitated the home
side’s disaster.At first Brian
Pilliner (12) and Phil Brook (14 n.o.) rode their luck in a stand of 30 that
looked to be rescuing Pencombe but then Powell upped a gear and reduced the
innings to ashes with 4 wickets in 10 balls.His final figures of 5 for 16 (all clean bowled) reflected a
prodigious effort and when Peter Reed
(1-6) removed the last man the collapse was complete.

When
Doctors batted the sun came out and the pitch became even more spiteful.James Brown (1-28) bowled with hostility
and Pilliner used his experience and local knowledge to the full to make the
ball swing, seam and spit.Dunkley
(12) played with skill and composure until he was lbw to an unplayable
shooter from Pilliner (2-9), but the innings of the day was played by David
Williamson who defended stoutly, showed good judgement in leaving the ball
and put away bad balls with panache.He received commendable support from Paisley
and although Doctors’ victory looked easy on paper it was a titanic struggle
and Williamson’s 37 not out was equivalent to a century in easier conditions.

Steady
rain fell throughout the match.Sam
Powell, operating off a short run up in the slippery conditions bowled a
super spell of fast line and length bowling and finished with 1 wicket for 8
runs from 4 overs.Fred Hayes played
one audacious reverse- batted deflection off Powell but succumbed to the
wrist spin of Oliver Budd (1-18) and D.Bowley was bowled attempting a
cross-batted shot to ease the pressure exerted by Mike Smart (1-16).Winsford was indebted to A.Neal for a
patient knock of 29 not out which provided the backbone of the innings.A.Blackmore’s aggressive cameo of 12 was
ended by a top edge off Peter Reed (1-9) which was well taken by Harry Lee at
square leg.

Lee began Doctors’ reply with a quickfire
innings of 24 including a pulled six into the adjoining river which was only
ended when he was caught off Bowley (1-22) in the sixth over.D.Phippen (1-13) took another wicket and
suddenly runs were hard to come by.John
Ogle had played supporter to Lee but now became the senior partner in a vital
stand with Williamson.The lush grass
and sodden outfield meant that boundaries were scarce but good placement and
intelligent running inched Doctors towards their target. Ogle (17) fell to C.Morgan (1-13) and Andrew
Paisley came in for a brief but vital contribution but two quick wickets for
Hayes (2-16) and the suicidal run out of skipper Phil Barker left the game
evenly poised.Williamson and Powell
kept their nerve and found the gaps in the field to ease Doctors past the
line with three balls to spare.

PacemakersWon by 23 runsBWD212 for 8Pacemakers189 a.o.

The match played on the beautiful Bridgetown ground was
blighted by persistent heavy rain.C.Langdon (2-32) made the ball shoot off the wet wicket to claim two
early victims and then Matthew House was unluckily run out.Keith Powell struck the ball towards the midwicket
boundary and both batsmen thought that the ball had crossed the line. House was making his way back to the
non-strikers end when the ball was returned and the wicket was put down.Powell and Paddy MacLennan made good the
loss with an excellent stand of exactly 50, notable for some high-class pull
shots.MacLennan (29) fell to an
excellent shot off N.Smyth (1-32) which soared toward the pavilion only to be
intercepted by a one-handed salmon leap by Langdon.Powell and Andrew Paisley kept up the
momentum in the face of good, tight spin bowling from Alex Penn and Peter
Sprague but when Powell (36) was bowled by Penn (1-32) and Paisley
(16) was lbw to Sprague (1-28) Doctors had slumped to 130 for 6.Sam Powell (56) and Charles Macadam
dispelled the worries with a fine stand of 52 in which resolute defence was
laced with a mixture of delicate and powerful scoring shots.Powell’s display of forceful cover driving
came to a sad end when a wide legside ball from Andrew Clark hit his pads and
trickled onto his stumps.Clark (2-29) then removed Macadam (13) through a James
Murdoch catch but there was time for captain Phil Barker (18 n.o.) to take
his team past the two hundred mark.

Penn made a statement of intent in the
first over with an exquisite pull for 6 off Sam Powell but then illustrated
the dangers of cross batted shots on damp wickets with an attempted repeat
off an altogether faster ball which found the hands of Keith Powell at mid
on.Powell (1-22) and House (1-10)
made life awkward for the batsmen and House clean bowled V.Chambers which
left Clark and D.Botha little choice but to
retrench.With the batsmen declining
risks and change bowlers Bertie Broughton and Peter Reed bowling a good line
and length a stalemate ensued.The
breakthrough came when Reed effected a good pick up and throw at short
midwicket to run out Botha (31) and a bowling change brought on Barker (1-8)
to dismiss dangerman Murdoch thanks to a superb diving catch at extra cover
by House.Clark
went on to a well deserved half century.He had eschewed his usual aerial driving but with his score on 52 the
need to push on lured him into a cover drive off Broughton which was caught
by Barker.Langdon (44) replaced him
and hit a barrage of shots into and over the river on the boundary but,
having hit Broughton (2-28) for two sixes in an over, the temptation for a
third was too much and he lost his middle stump.Jeremy Budd (2-7) took two wickets
including a very sharp caught and bowled and thereafter only A.Nash (12)
reached double figures as the wizardry of MacLennan (3-17) did the rest

2008WinsfordWon by 5
wicketsWinsford79 for 9.BWD84 for 5

Winsford
were put in to bat on a green strip of variable bounce and Sam Powell (2-5)
extracted life and movement off the seam to dismiss opener A.Williams thanks
to a good catch by keeper David Williamson.With the leg breaks of Graham Fergusson (2-12) biting and turning at
the other end the home side nose dived to 14 for 4.Opener A.Blackmore played a lone hand as
Peter Reed and Oliver Budd (1-16) worked their way through the middle order
thanks to a series of nonchalant catches by Richard Budd at mid off.When Blackmore (24) clipped Reed (2-16) to
the same fielder Winsford were in serious trouble and more excellent bowling
from Phil Barker (1-17) and Keith Powell (1-9) maintained the pressure.Helen Hayes (15 n.o.) gave the total
respectability but received no support.

Doctors made the game interesting by losing
two quick wickets including the run out of John Ogle due to a calamitous
misunderstanding with Rob Adcock.Richard Budd (10) played fluently and hit one big six before top
edging a repeat attempt off L.Webber (1-20) and Andrew Paisley was going well
until he pulled a calf muscle and had to retire on 12 not out.D.Phippen (1-14) caused another minor
hiccup but some assured driving by Keith Powell and calm accumulation by
Oliver Budd eased Doctors’ anxieties.Powell (13) was bowled by A.Crispen (1-0) just before the end which
allowed Sam Powell time to hit the winning runs with a six over midwicket.

PacemakersCancelled by the Opposition

Sadly Pacemakers were only able to find 4
people willing to play, only two of whom subsequently turned up.Thanks to some last-minute local recruiting
by the Powell family a total of 18 players plus the limping Paisley assembled
at Bridgetown and an unofficial 9-a-side friendly match was played.

There were
fine innings of 43 by David Williamson, 29 by Graham Fergusson and 24 by
Oliver Budd.The highlight of the
match was a superb spell of off spin from Jeremy Budd resulting in figures of
5 for 19, including the wicket of Oliver Budd and a hat-trick.

2009St MarysLost by 5
wicketsBWD114 for 6St Mays 116 for 2

Doctors’
tour to the Scillies got off to a disappointing start when they lost the toss
and were put in to bat on a bouncy artificial wicket. Most of their batsmen
struggled to time the ball especially after opener Harry Lee was hit on the
helmet by a ball which rose from a good length.The umpires were lenient to some quick
bowling wide of leg stump but Lee (15) was going well when he got the
faintest of edges to a ball from Joe Badcock (1-10).Andrew Paisley (15) and Graham Fergusson
(18) accumulated steadily without their usual fluency until both fell in
quick succession to catches off B.Jakes (1-17) and Goddard (1-15).Richard Budd was run out without facing a
ball by a deflection by the bowler’s fingertips but Phil Barker played
pleasantly until he miscued M.Hicks (2-14).The only batsman to get on top of the bowling was Oliver Budd with a
masterful 36 not out which gave the total some respectability.

Doctors’
bowling never recovered from the second over from which M.Twynham plundered
19 leg-side runs.Lee’s bowling was
hard to score from and he was also the leader of some athletic Doctors
fielding but St Marys’ knowledge of their home conditions proved
crucial.Oliver Budd had Twynham (18)
snared by Lee at square leg but Jakes (14 n.o.) anchored the innings while an
attacking cameo from J.Francis put his side on top.Man of the match Budd (2-28) induced an
edge from Francis (18) to keeper Fergusson who was standing up to the stumps
but this gave the stage to R.Wilcox (47 n.o.) whose classy driving and
pulling blew Doctors away.

St MartinsWon by 51 runsBWD179 for 7St Martins 128 all out

St Martins’ opening bowler James Morton
(2-21) made early inroads with 2 wickets, including that of Charles Macadam
which was obtained by a novel interpretation of the lbw law.Graham Fergusson and Harry Lee made good
the damage with an excellent partnership of 54 during which the spectators
spent much of the time searching for balls lost over the boundary.Fergusson was trapped lbw by T.Goddard
(1-29) but Lee continued in fine form until he retired on 51.There followed a short hiatus in which
Doctors lost 3 wickets to J.Smith (2-41) and a suicidal run out but Doug
Johnson (44) and Phil Barker (17 n.o.) staged a glorious finale of six
hitting and more lost balls.

Father
and son Jeremy and Oliver Budd bowled fine spells of contrasting spin bowling
without getting the rewards they deserved.Goddard’s patient knock of 22 was ended by a good diving catch by
Barker at mid on off Reed (3-11) and the same bowler, having spurned two
caught and bowled chances off J.Pee (11) finally nailed his middle
stump.An excellent spell of medium
pace from Joe Lee (2-21) yielded two clean bowled victims to reduce St
Martins to 62 for 5.J.Haggarty (19)
stopped the rot for a while until he became the first of two victims to
Macadam (2-16) thanks to a brilliant reflex catch by keeper Fergusson.A wicket for Richard Budd (1-30) aided by a
Fergusson stumping and a cool run out by Joe Lee put the home side in deep
trouble and a highly entertaining last wicket stand between Morton and Chris
Alcock (18 n.o.) was only good for consolation.Barker (0-1) ended the fun when his first
ball bowled Morton for 18.

2010Central
Brittany CC Won by 111 runsBWD 233 for 8C.Brittany 122
all out

The
Doctors late arrival at a floodlit football pitch owed much to the
questionable navigational skills of the Powell family, but Keith Powell soon
atoned for the inauspicious start with a steady opening partnership of
50 in 8 overs on a bouncy, grassy pitch. The Doctors serene progress came to
an abrupt end when skipper Lee Snelling brought himself into the attack. He
bowled Keith Powell (26) and next ball took a fine C&B to dismiss
Sam Powell. His fine spell of 6-14-2 limited the doctors scoring but
Nick Smyth and Dave Williamson continued to score at the other end, bringing
up their 50 partnership in the 18th over. Nick Smyth then fell to G Palmer
(6-33-1) for 29 off 24 balls, which brought Harry Lee to the crease shortly
before Dave Williamson retired for a fine 53 not out. Harry then
launched a spectacular assault on the Brittany bowling with 55 (retired) off
31 balls including 5 sixes. Phil Barker, Andrew Paisley and Doug Johnson all
contributed down the order, and Ed Johnson rounded off the innings with a six
off his first ball before being bowled by the final ball. V Mallard,
the only Frenchman playing ended with figures of 5-43-2 and the Doctors
closed on 233 for 8.

Ed Johnson and Phil Barker opened
for the Doctors, both finding plenty of movement off the pitch. Both struck
in their third overs to remove the openers but thereafter Phil Barker's
luck deserted him and 4 catches went down off his bowling (6-33-1). Ed
Johnson wisely choose the direct approach and clean bowled both his victims
to end with 6-30-2. The Brittany No 3 Tom Edmunds was by now well established
and when joined by Lee Snelling they began to score freely reaching 88 at the
halfway point. Andrew Paisley (4-28-1) then took the crucial wicket of
Edmunds for 60 and one over from Harry Lee was enough to account for
Snelling for 17. Sam Powell then accounted for the lower middle order with
6-23-2, and Darell Edwards, kindly playing for the Doctors as 11th man took
2-6-2 to finish off his team mates for 122 all out.

C.C. de l’OustWon by 67 runsBWD177 all
outCC de l’Oust 110 all out

The Doctors arrived to find a strip being
mown on another floodlit football pitch and once again were put in on a
grassy wicket. Charles Macadam and Keith Powell opened the innings with
some frenetic running which belied their age, but the pace could not be
sustained and Keith was run out. Dave Williamson joined Charles, but they
were tied down by some accurate bowling and variable movement and bounce off
the pitch, and both lost their wickets trying to increase the tempo. Harry
Lee came in at 34-3, but after a brief flurry of boundaries also became
pinned down and fell to a superb diving catch by the keeper Walton. Ed
Johnson and Sam Powell then set about repairing the innings with a fine stand
of 62, before Ed fell for 35 leaving the Doctors 109 for
5.This became 110 for 6 when Doug Johnson could not resist an over
ambitious drive and was bowled. Thankfully Andrew Paisley showed great sense
to defend the straight balls and lash anything wide to the boundary as
he initially supported Sam who finally fell for 36 and was then joined
by Nick Smyth in a partnership of 31 before Nick became the 2nd
victim of spinner John Ward. Ward then removed Andrew for 35 and a brief
cameo from Phil Barker took the doctors to 177 all out, with Ward
finishing with 6.3-18-4.

Once again the opening partnership
of Ed Johnson and Phil Barker were able to move the ball off the pitch, and
the pressure lead to an early run out after a fine pick up and throw from
Harry Lee. Phil Barker then bowled the other opener, and Nick Smyth
took a stunning one handed catch to give Ed (7-18-1) a deserved wicket.
Phil (7-32-2) continued to apply pressure to the new bat and was
rewarded with his wicket when he top edged a catch to Doug Johnson to leave
the French team on 45 for 4. Tim Brown, the l'Ouest's no 3 continued to score
freely on the leg side and at the half way mark they had recovered to 84 for
4. Sam Powell then joined the attack and the extra pace proved too much, two
batsman falling in consecutive balls and the hat trick ball flying over the
slips. Harry Lee then removed Brown for 54, and the tail swiftly subsided
with Sam finishing on 4-6-3 and Harry on 1-1-2 to give the Doctors
victory.

2011Central
Brittany CC Won by 42 runsBWD 164 all outC.Brittany 122
all out

Doctors
won the toss and began briskly with 12 runs off the first over, but
thereafter the ratio of free hits to good balls narrowed considerably and
Doctors found themselves 19 for 2 after 3 overs. A period of rebuilding was
required and was duly supplied by Rob Moore (21) and Phil Barker (28) who
after a slow start put on 55 for the 3rd wicket to take the score
to 74 in the 15th over before Rob fell lbw to a ball that kept
low. A collapse then followed to reduce Doctors to 91 for 6 in the 20th
over and a second rescue operation was required, this time by Harry Lee.
Batting with great fluency despite a broken thumb, he was ably supported by
the tail, but ran out of partners in the 33rd over and was left stranded on
49 not out with the total on 164, and Geoff Palmer ending 6 overs of off spin
with 3 for 17.

Central Brittany (CB) then launched their innings with a frenetic
attack on Joe Lee and Sam Powell, but Joe took a wicket in each of his first
two overs (3-27-2) to ensure that the outright attack did not go unpunished.
Nonetheless CB reached 50 in the sixth over with some powerful hitting from
Nick Matthews (36) but the match was turned round by a fine spell of 3
wickets in 8 balls from Sam Powell (7-32-3). He ripped out the middle order,
including Tom Edmunds, the top scorer from last year, whose stumps were sent
flying by the first ball he faced. Nick Matthews was then spectacularly run
out by the combination of a flat throw from deep mid on by Keith Powell and
Harry Lee gathering the ball and removing the bails with his good hand.
Thereafter CB subsided gently for 122 thanks to Andrew Paisley (1-1-2),
although the total would have been under 100 had not the Doctors dropped 4
catches as their concentration lapsed with the game as good as won.

C.C. de l’OustWon by 74 runsBWD164 for 7CC de l’Oust 90 all out

Doctors opted to bat first in a 12 a side
game on a lively pitch and were soon in deep trouble at 10 for 3. This time
it was Joe Lee (22) and Sam Powell (35) who steadied the ship, putting on 54
for the 4th wicket before Sam skied a return catch to the bowler.
The stage was again set for the broken thumbed Harry Lee, who proceeded to
make light of the conditions with a sublime 78 not out. Keith Powell has made
his reputation as an aggressive batsman, but he could only stand and watch as
he contributed just 4 to the partnership of 53 for the 6th wicket
before he was run out. Harry retired to make way for his father in the last
two overs, and Richard Lee acquired his first two runs for at least 5 years,
as Doctors ended their 35 overs on 164 for 7.

CCDL again started frenetically being
particularly harsh on Phil Barker whose first two overs went for 21 runs.
However Rob Moore retained control at the other end and as Phil regained line
and length Doctors began to impose themselves and wickets began to fall.
Moore utilised the erratic bounce of the pitch to full advantage in a fine
spell to take 7-18-3 including both openers lbw, while Phil’s final 5 overs
went for 16 runs as he finished with 7-37-1, removing the top scorer M Powell
for 23. Ed Johnson took a fine catch at mid-off to give Rob his third
wicket, and then removed the dangerous D Walton courtesy of a good running
catch by Keith Powell at deep mid-on. Sam Powell then accounted for Lee
Snelling (who he had also removed in the previous day’s match) thanks to a
skied catch to Phil Barker. Thereafter wickets fell steadily as both Andrew
Paisley and Doug Johnson held two catches each, Jeremy Budd taking 2-9-2 and
Richard Lee in his comeback match taking 1-6-1. CCDL ended on 90 all out.

2012C.C. de l’OustWon by 11 runsBWD89 for 7CC de l’Oust 78 for 9

Doctors
made a very slow start on a very well grassed strip at Serent.Bala Ponduragan (1-10) extracted lavish,
variable bounce from the uneven surface and Matt Powell's outswingers were
virtually unplayable. Wickets fell regularly with only Ed Johnson (17)
scoring freely until he was caught at long off from the bowling of Powell
(2-7).Lee Snelling (2-17) bowled well
as Sam Powell (12) and Harry Lee (10) added impetus and there were fine
innings from Nick Smyth (16 n.o) and Rob Moore (12 n.o.).

An
excellent opening spell by Powell (1-11) and Joe Lee (1-14) was endangered by
aggressive batting from Ponduragan and Snelling (10) until the latter was
caught by Powell off Harry Lee (1-8).Graham Fergusson (1-23) and Tom Guppy (2-15) re-established Doctors'
control despite a sensible 19 from Matt Powell but with such a low score to
defend the game was always in the balance.Ponduragan (32 n.o.) returned to the crease at the fall of the ninth
wicket but could not break the stranglehold applied by the estimable pairing
of Moore (1-1) and Jeremy Budd (1-3).

Central Brittany CC Won by 104 runsBWD 245 for 7C.Brittany 141
all out

Doctors got
away to a flyer as Phil Barker and Rob Moore put on 47 for the first
wicket.Moore (12) was bowled by
S.Bennett which brought Keith Powell to the crease to share in a top class
partnership of 92 with Barker.Both
defended the good balls securely and peppered the short boundaries when
anything was off line or length.A
tiring Barker (63) eventually gave his wicket away and was stumped off
Bennett (2-45) which let in Ed Johnson (15) and Harry Lee (30) for explosive
cameos.It all became a bit too easy
for the Doctors' middle order and there was a predictable cascade of five
wickets as Nick Tyrell (3-39), Lee Snelling (1-40) and Nick Matthews (1-54)
cashed in on some over-aggressive stroke play.Powell (69 n.o.) eventually found a stable
ally in Joe Lee (11 n.o.) in an unbroken stand of 44 that ensured an imposing
total.

Central
Brittany openers Matthews (16) and Snelling (19) teed off with a quick fire
partnership of 27 but both were undone by the lethal combination of Sam
Powell (2-17) and the excellent catching of Harry Lee at mid-on.Joe Lee (1-31) joined in with another
wicket thanks to a well-judged catch by Barker at mid-wicket and when Jeremy
Budd (1-20) snared Bennett thanks to an even better running catch by Harry
Lee the run chase was faltering.The
match was effectively finished by a burst of two wickets in three balls by
Peter Reed (2-30) including a wicket with his first ball on his first
overseas tour. Colin Morrish (18) hit 3 fours off 3 balls but was then run
out by the ubiquitous Harry Lee.Tom
Guppy (2-18) made further inroads with aid from a second stumping by Graham
Fergusson and a good catch by Joe Lee.T.Rossiter (29) and D.Law (10 n.o.) entertained the crowd until the
match was concluded by a two wicket spell from the evergreen Richard Lee
(2-19).

C.C. de l’OustLost by 7 wicketsBWD97 all outCC de l’Oust 98 for 3

Doctors
approached their innings with some apprehension in the return match on the
tricky Serent wicket.They made a bad
start when Harry Lee was given out lbw to a ball from Lee Snelling (1-19)
that was passing well wide of leg stump and lost two further batsmen to Matt
Powell (2-11).Their woes deepened
when Graham Fergusson (11) clipped a ball from Wayne Ackroyd (1-12) to
S.Bennett at square leg and Rob Moore lost his middle stump to a fast shooter
from J.Rana.For a brief interlude Ed
Johnson (18) took the attack to the bowlers but the variable bounce and the
pace and accuracy of Rana (4-13 from 7 overs) accounted for him and another
mini collapse ensued.The only batsman
to play with any comfort was Charles Macadam who was left high and dry for an
excellent, unbeaten 18.

Trevor
Edwards and John Ward provided a sound platform until Edwards (13) was bowled
by Moore (1-28) and Ward (11) was bowled by Lee.Rana was the main difference between the
two sides and this showed again as he gave an exhibition of how to play on a
dodgy wicket.When Rana (26) was lbw to
the impressive Lee (2 for 8 from 6 overs) Ackroyd (14 n.o.) and Snelling (15
n.o.) were left with a relatively simple task.

The match started with a clatter of
wickets as both Phil Barker (1-2) and Jeremy Budd (1-18) opened their
accounts and Ed Johnson chipped in with a run out to leave Brittany reeling
at 18-3 in the third over. Some sanity was restored by Nick Tyrell (35 n.o.)
who started to reach the boundary with some regularity, but wickets continued
to fall at the other end, with Sam Powell taking 3 wickets for 1 run. More
generous bowling from Ed Johnson, Tom Adams and Nick Smyth allowed the tail
to wag so Brittany ended on 112 with one wicket in hand.

The Doctors’ reply was at best steady
with the score reaching 13 for 2 off four.Keith Powell was involved in a run out with Tom Adams (16) and played
an unusually restrained innings, struggling to 20 in the 12th over
before finally being bowled.The
Doctors were sinking at 67 for 7 when Sam Powell strode to the crease.Eschewing his father’s example he struck 5
sixes and 3 singles before retiring. Some injudicious batting by the tail and
a pressing dinner engagement for last man Budd allowed Sam back in to hit
another 6 to win the game with an over to spare.

Central Brittany CC Won by 129 runsBWD 268 for 7C.Brittany 139
all out

Doctors started
cautiously on a Silfiac pitch of uneven bounce and lavish seam movement.Phil Pidgeon (13) received a short ball
from Wayne Ackroyd (1-21) which shot along the ground and prompted an aerial
riposte which was caught by Bala Ponduragan at mid-on.Doug Johnson (25, including fours and 2
sixes) and Graham Fergusson (35, including 6 fours and a six) then launched a
furious assault. The main victim was Tom Edmonds (2-77) but he gained some
revenge by having both batsmen caught.This did not spare the toiling attack as Keith Powell and Harry Lee
took advantage of the short, square boundaries in another rollicking
partnership. Powell (41) was eventually bowled by Tom Howson (1-25) and
Biswell (1-30) and Lee Snelling (1-59) took further wickets but first Andrew
Paisley (32) and then Ed Johnson took even heavier toll in the closing
stages.Powell (54) and Johnson (41)
remained unbeaten.

The hosts'
reply began disastrously as Rob Moore and Sam Powell each took wickets in
their opening over.Boswell (20) hit
four boundaries but was then clean bowled by a beauty from Powell
(2-13).Brief cameos from Ackroyd (14)
and Bala (14) were terminated by Peter Reed (2-33) and Doug Johnson (1-13)
but Howson and Pat Darling came together to form a good partnership.Darling led something of a charmed life but
Howson (20) looked secure until the introduction of Richard Lee into the
attack provoked a drive in the air which was well held by Harry Lee.The end followed swiftly as the last four
batsmen all made ducks.Richard Lee
(2-41) took another wicket, Harry Lee contributed a run out and Paisley (2-7)
applied the coup de grace.Darling was
stranded on 43 not out.

C.C. de l’OustLost by 82 runsCC de l’Oust
225 for 9BWD143 for 9

Doctors lost
the toss but were not unhappy to bowl first on a Serent pitch covered in
long, shaggy grass in the middle of a football ground.The vagaries of the wicket were offset by
the very short boundaries and Hamed (16) from Afghanistan began the innings
aggressively until Phil Barker took an outstanding, tumbling catch at long on
from the bowling of Phil Pidgeon (1-11).Tom Adams (1-20) removed Sigra Khan, caught by Doug Johnson and Harry
Lee ended a gritty vigil by Jon Ward (14) via a catch by Nick Smyth at first
slip.The problem for the visitors was
at the other end where French international player Rana used all of his skill
to negate the variable bounce and lateral movement and used the aerial route
to punish any small lapse in line or length with a boundary.At last Peter Reed (1-35) found a way to
dismiss Rana (56) with a leg cutter that deviated by eighteen inches and
clipped the off bail and Harry Lee had Bala Ponduragan (11) lbw.Sadly for Doctors this did not end the pain
as Wayne Ackroyd launched a violent assault on some woefully sort-pitched
bowling.Rather belatedly Barker
(2-16) was summoned for an excellent spell which staunched the run
haemorrhage and persuaded Ackroyd (51) to offer a catch to Johnson at fine
leg.Richard Lee (1-34) contributed a
useful wicket, as did run-outs by Reed and Harry Lee but the game was taken
out of reach by a display of leg-side hitting from Lee Snelling (38 n.o.).

To say that
Doctors' top-order batsmen struggled with the pace and accuracy of opening
bowlers Hamed and Nisa would be an understatement.For the first time every Doctors batsman
wore a helmet and on two occasions they saved a head injury.Barker sensibly played on the back foot but
was undone by a shooter from Nisa (2-10) and then the ubiquitous pair of Rana
(1-9) and Ackroyd caused further havoc.Rob Moore (10) hung in but was eventually caught behind.Graham Fergusson was also given out caught
behind and thereafter the only batsman to look at ease was Harry Lee (30)
until he was caught by Hamid off Ackroyd (2-12).The gentler pace of Snelling (2-37) and
Bala (3-23) was still bouncing head high and the wicket's variability was
more than enough to account for the lower order.Sam Powell (29) adopted the tactic of
batting well down the track and smashing everything in reach over the boundary
but when he was caught at long on the game was up.

On
a miserably wet Friday evening in Silfiac BDCC managed a 'Nelson' in eighteen
overs. The Doctors scored 111 for nine thanks to a watchful innings of 27 not
out by Richard Budd supported by the reliable Keith Powell scoring a quick
22. The second highest score was extras with 26 including 23 wides, and a
cameo innings of 21 by Tom Adcock at the conclusion of the innings. The pick
of the bowlers was Bishwal with 2/14 & Nick Matthews with 2/15.

In
reply Doctors took two quick wickets, tour debutant Ben Brown taking 2/29.
The home team quickly took control with aggressive leg side sixes from
Matthews 28 n.o. and Bala 25 n.o. The Doctors threatened to come back with
some tight bowling from skipper Phil Barker 0/11, Tom Adcock 1/8 & Oliver
Budd 0/21.However a well-constructed
innings by new recruit Monjour 25 led the hosts to the brink of victory. There
was a glimmer of hope when he was stumped by Macadam off Paisley 1/15, but a
trio of wides ultimately lost the game.

Central
Brittany CC Won by 14 runsBWD 134 all outC.Brittany 120
all out

On Saturday the now traditional volleyball
was played in beautiful sunshine in Le Coudiac. As we drove towards Silfiac
the clouds gathered again but the rain stayed away and we were able to
contest a 35 over game against Central Brittany CC. The Doctors again batted
first and were soon struggling at 26/3 against the bowling of Bishwal 2/24,
Lee Snelling 3/36 & Dave Amos 4/12. But a partnership of 59 by the Budd
brothers who each scored 37 and Tom Adcock chipping in with 15 gave Doctors a
total of 134 to defend.

Man of the match Oliver Budd ripped through the top order with 4/29
ably assisted by some excellent catches by Barker (3), Tom Adams & Tom
Guppy.CBCC rallied with some strong
hitting from Lee Snelling 41 supported by Pat Dalling 20. Phil Barker tightened
the screw with a spell of 6 overs taking 1 for 5 and then an inspired bowling
change saw Charles Macadam take 3/7 and Tom Guppy (1 /1) took the last wicket
to secure a 14 run victory.

C.C. de l’OustLost by 1 wicketBWD123 all outCC de l’Oust 124 for 9

Sunday saw another sunny morning of
volleyball before setting off south to Serent where we played CC de
l'Oust.Doctors batted first and again
were in trouble at 12/3 against the quick bowling of Monjour 1/16 & Bala
2/6 and the slower Matt Powell 2/20.Again the Doctors were in debt to the Budd brothers who put together a
stand of 64 in 14 overs, Oliver scoring 34 and Richard 27. They were both
removed by Lee Snelling 3/11. The second highest stand of the day (20) was
the last wicket between Jeremy Budd (4) and Barker (25 not out) as the
Doctors scored an under par 123.

A run out and a great catch by Tom Adcock put some pressure on the
host team until a good partnership between Wayne Ackroyd (24) and Matt Powell
(15) swung the game away from the Doctors until Phil Barker (3/15) bowled
Ackroyd and had Powell caught in the deep with a good juggling catch by
Andrew Guppy. Guest player Bishwal 1/18 also applied the brakes and with
pressure building on de l'Oust Macadam was brought on and took 3 wickets in
his first over (3/12). But a very patient innings from Monjour (31 not out)
won the game for the French team in the 30th over by one wicket.